Brotherly Love
by lostmoonchild
Summary: It's surprising how far a big brother will go to keep his injured little brother safe.


lostmoonchild: Okay, I'm using my da's computer so don't expect too much. Anyway, this was a result of boredom while babysitting and actually finished during choir. I don't own Naruto.

Brotherly Love

"Damn it!" Gaara shouted looking furious.

Kankuro winced a little and looked at his brother's wounds. They were surrounded by a rival ninja group who were determined to kill Gaara. Temari was away, seeing some boy she had met over in Kohana that she had met. "Can you heal them?" Kankuro asked not really wanting to be around his brother.

Gaara didn't answer before shaking his head. "Time," he answered, "it'll take a little while."

Kankuro mentally groaned knowing his brother was serious. Then again, he very rarely -if ever- joked around. "Fine," groaned Kankuro.

It had started out normally enough. Temari left to see some boy, Gaara had been running around somewhere, most likely trying to follow Temari before getting caught and sent back, while Kankuro looked at his magazines. Then Gaara had come in saying something about rival ninjas which immediately caught Kankuro's attentions. Then somehow they got injured and trapped with no way of escaping. Bad enough Gaara was injured badly and wouldn't be able to defend himself, even with the sand.

Kankuro knew what he had to do. He had to step up in his role as an older sibling like Temari had done twice over. But it was different now. Temari had practice taking care of Gaara since she had taken care of Kankuro and he had no doubts that he and Gaara, in Temari's eyes, both a bit annoying. but he never doubted for a minute or even a millisecond that she loved them.

Kankuro looked at his brother and saw his eyes were closed. For a minute, if one looked carefully enough, they could see an unknown look of innocence on his face that was always covered by an emotionless mask. Was that honestly all that seperated Gaara from him and Temari? Being emotionless that was brought on by a demon within? How would Gaara have turned out if Shukaku hadn't been put into him? Kankuro didn't know the answers but he knew that he had to protect his brother.

Drawing his kunai, Kankuro informed his brother of what he was going to do. Hearing no complaints, Kankuro left the safety of the hideout only to be attacked. Clenching his teeth, Kankuro began his attack.

Normally he would have used Karasu but he got destroyed during the first fight leaving Kankuro to defend himself. 'No," Kankuro thought dodging flying kunai, 'I'm defending Gaara until he heals himself.'

Four against one, the odds were seriously against him but he wouldn't surrender. Not now, not when he had to play the older brother. His little brother depended on him whether either boy wanted to admit it or not.

One down, three to go. Kankuro was bleeding from his wounds but he wouldn't stop. His strength was draining quickly just as his chakra was but he needed to keep going.

A hiss of pain escaped Kankuro's lips when he got stabbed in the back. Was this how everything would end? In the middle of the desert where no one would find them? NO! THIS WAS NOT THE END!

Kankuro spun around and hit the ninja, effectively shattering his windpipe. The ninja tried to get air but was failing miserably. Kankuro may have been one who didn't want to see somebody slowly dying, but he'd make an acception. He could pretend nothing at all happened.

One of the ninja had run away after seing one be killed and the other slowly dying leaving the obvious leader to fight the sand ninja. "I'm going to give you a chance to leave." Kankuro said calmly.

"Not until the demon is dead."

"That "demon" happens to be a child. Not just any child, mind you, he happens to be my little brother."

"You lie!"

"I do not. I'm scared of him some of the time, yes. Stupid enough get in his way, no. But I will NOT allow myself to stand aside and let some coward kill a member of my family!"  
"Then you will die first!"

Kankuro braced himself but when no attack came, Kankuro was surprised to see sand shaped like fingers hovering over his shoulders. "You should be resting, Gaara!" Kankuro shouted not looking back.

"Yeah right." Gaara answered, his voice showing a little respect for his older brother.

"Then let me fight him." Kankuro shouted really wanting to pound the living hell out of the assssin.

"Go ahead."  
Kankuro charged at the other ninja and drew his kunai. The desert sun reflected off of metal in the two ninjas' hands making it seem like a ceacon of some sort, calling any and all travelers to the fight. A fight to live on in their homes, to be allowed to see another dawn. The loser would die, stranded in the desert for any wild animals to devour.

Blood stained the sand as the two ninjas fought against each other. Gaara watched silently, cheering mentally for his older brother. He could see his brother was tired but determined to win. He probably would have taken the fight but he heard what his brother had said. Even though he scared Kankuro, Kankuro still cared for him.

The sound of bones cracking drew Gaara from his thoughts and he saw the other ninja on the ground, his eyes glazed over. Kankuro looked at Gaara and smiled a little. "Let's go home, Gaara." Kankuro said starting to walk.

Gaara nodded and caught up to his brother, walking silently next to him. Neither spoke a word for a while before Gaara broke the silence. "Why?" Gaara asked. "Why'd you help me?"

"You're my brother."

"So?"

Kankuro looked towards the dying sun and said, "Unlike the day, Gaara, a brother's love never dies. Even if you're afraid."

lostmoonchild: Okay, I'm using my da's computer to write this and unfortunately for everybody who was following my stories I cannot type the chapters of those stories onto this computer since I have them already typed out and there's honestly no point in retyping them unless they've been deleted. Read and review, flames are accepted.


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